Not just keep her safe, but also make her happy.
Surely her family back in Laurent hadn’t let her leave willingly. The way she spoke with pride of her father and with affection toward her siblings and uncle, it seemed she had people who cared about her. Maybe she would eventually trust him enough to tell him why she’d set out alone.
For now, he had to make the best decision for her that he could with the knowledge he possessed. It seemed he had three options.
He could guide her to the fort, which his mind and heart and every other part of him said was not a true option.
He could take her back to Laurent. He knew the general direction but had no idea how to find the exact mountain where the village lived. If he got her close, though, she should be able to guide them the final stretch.
Or he could wander aimlessly without telling her. That option wouldn’t be possible more than a few days before she grew suspicious.
Maybe a combination of the last two would work best. He could take her in a roundabout way toward where he suspected the village to be. She probably wouldn’t recognize the landmarks until they came near, so he’d have that much time to convince her the fort wasn’t safe. Maybe by then she would be so cold and tired of snow, she might even be longing for home.
He glanced around again, this time seeing the landmarks from a different perspective. He would need to lead them in a wide arc as they circled back to the west. Charlotte wouldrecognize their direction at some point—she was a savvy woman despite her stubborn streak. But the longer he could hold off her discovery, the better for her.
As much as he hated being sneaky and underhanded when she’d placed her trust in him, that very trust required him to do everything possible to keep her safe.
10
By midday, fatigue weighted Charlotte’s steps. She’d given in and climbed aboard Gulliver once they reached level ground. Two days of trekking in the snow, not to mention the short night, had used up almost every bit of strength she possessed.
Damien took Gulliver to a nearby stream to crack the ice for him to drink, and she couldn’t resist laying back on the fur she’d spread to sit on. Just a few minutes to rest her body might give her fresh energy for the afternoon. She wouldn’t sleep, only let her eyes and body rest.
A sound pulled her from the haze her body had sunk into, and she forced her eyelids open. Damien knelt over a pile of logs in the snow, the tinderbox in his hands.
The noise came again, the scrape of flint against steel. He was building a fire?
She jerked upright, then winced at the aches shooting through her. The fur fell from around her shoulders.
The fur? Had he spread it over her like a blanket?
“What are you doing?” Her voice came out hoarse and groggy.
He glanced up, brows raised at first, then eased into agentle smile. “You’re awake. I was worried you’d get cold, so I was starting a fire. I also thought something warm to drink might be good for us both.”
She blinked. He spoke as if she’d been sleeping for hours. “I’m sorry I dozed off. I’m ready to keep going now.”
He swiveled to face her, sitting on his heels. His eyes scanned her face, as though looking for something that would tell him whether she truly was ready to start out again.
She pushed the fur off and forced her aching body to stand. Damien didn’t get to choose whether she was capable of traveling or not. She had to get to the fort as soon as possible, which meant she had to push through her exhaustion.
He seemed to understand, for he stood and loaded the logs back in his arms, then stowed them on Gulliver’s saddle where they kept the dry wood.
As she wrapped the furs back in a bundle and tied them on the mule, a glance at the sky showed that the sun had moved much farther than she’d expected. “Was I asleep long?”
“A couple hours.” Damien spoke the words casually as he pulled the strap tight on the saddle.
She nearly choked on her surprise, and the heat surging to her face warmed her better than a fire would have. “I’m ... sorry. I didn’t mean to nod off at all.”
He looked at her with one of those soft expressions. “I’m glad you did. We all needed the rest.”
Then he moved to hold Gulliver’s bridle while she climbed aboard. She could lose herself in this man’s approval, rest in his help and confidence.
But she couldn’t allow herself. She had to stay focused on getting to Fort Versailles. No more time could be wasted. She’d lost so much time already.
As they traveled over the next few hours, she couldn’t shake the grogginess from her nap. Thankfully, they were able to skirt the mountains in their path, keeping to valleys and small hills.
At last, they reached a river that spread wide before them. Man and mule halted together, and all three of them stared out across the expanse.
